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Odin's Clique: Poets' Corner

Though Odin may be the ruler of the Norse gods and also a god of war, he's got a strong artistic side. Odin was actually responsible for bringing poetry to Middle-Earth. Odin enjoys sharing his poetry with other artsy gods, and starting impromptu poetry slams in the school cafeteria.

Apollo is the son of Zeus in Greco-Roman mythology. Like most gods, Apollo has many roles, but two of them – god of prophecy and truth, and god of poetry and music – connect him to Odin. The ancient Greeks turned to Apollo for wisdom, constructing for him oracles, or sites at which sacrifices were performed in exchanged for prophecies or wise sayings. As the god of poetry and music, Apollo often won contests in these subjects, on one occasion punishing the loser by flaying him alive.

Lugus

Lugus is a god of the Celtic pantheon about whom very little is known, but pictures of him suggest some interesting similarities to Odin. Like Odin, he is usually accompanied by ravens and wolves, and his weapon of choice is a spear. He is often shown in the guise of an old man. And in Celtic culture, Lugus is the inventor of the arts, paralleling Odin's role in Norse culture as the originator of poetry.